FOUNDING PRINCIPAL, AIA, LEED AP
Aki is a Croatian-American artist and architect pursuing a uniquely integrative approach to creating art, architecture, and structure.
At the University of Zagreb School of Architecture, Aki studied form theory with the noted painter Josip Vaništa. At the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, he was one of the pioneers in using computers for architectural design and exploring computer graphics programming as a form of artistic expression. Aki also had the privilege of studying and working with prominent American sculptors Barry Tinsley and John David Mooney, significantly contributing to his understanding of composition and developing his unique approach.
Before founding AKI + Partners, Aki was a principal at the architectural firm Perkins+Will. Prior to that, he was a designer at VOA Associates and a structural engineer with the global firm of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Aki has led large professional teams on major award-winning architectural projects and developed innovative structural concepts. His early and passionate advocacy for a sustainable approach to design and a more meaningful connection of architecture to nature is inspiring and hopeful. His architectural work has been published in numerous publications, and his art has been exhibited in galleries in the United States and Japan.
Aki holds a Bachelor of Science in Architecture with High Honors and a Master of Science in Civil/Structural Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He also studied architecture at the University of Zagreb, Croatia.